New Hanover schools to seek state funding for deputies

Published: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 11:03 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 11:03 p.m.

The New Hanover County Board of Education wants funding for sheriff's deputies in elementary schools to come from a statewide grant.

But the timeline for applying for and getting those funds is still up in the air.

The school board decided at an interim meeting Wednesday to apply for a grant that the state House of Representatives has put forward to fund sheriff's deputies in elementary and middle schools across the state. The grant would use $10 million from the state Department of Public Instruction's general fund to match local districts' dollars to put the deputies in schools next year.

But information about when and how to apply, and when the district would receive the money is not yet known, Superintendent Tim Markley said.

Board members decided to apply for the grant and hold off on using local money to fund the deputies. The grant funding only applies to new deputies, so if the district put deputies in place using local funding, it wouldn't be eligible for the grant, Markley said.

The district has publicly supported keeping 11 sheriff's deputies to share among the district's 25 elementary schools, which would cost $1 million in its first year – $614,000 in recurring costs for staff salaries and $386,000 in one-time costs for equipment.

The school board will likely approve its budget on July 2, basing it on funding recommended from the county and the state House of Representatives. Since a state budget likely won't be finalized by then, the board will need to approve budget resolutions in later months, said chief finance officer Mary Hazel Small.

The House budget includes a 4 percent reduction in districts' teacher assistants. Small said that would not lead to any cuts in New Han­over County because of the district's expected enrollment growth. The district would keep its same number of teacher assistants instead of being able to add any, she said.

<p>The New Hanover County Board of Education wants funding for sheriff's deputies in elementary schools to come from a statewide grant.</p><p>But the timeline for applying for and getting those funds is still up in the air. </p><p>The school board decided at an interim meeting Wednesday to apply for a grant that the state House of Representatives has put forward to fund sheriff's deputies in elementary and middle schools across the state. The grant would use $10 million from the state Department of Public Instruction's general fund to match local districts' dollars to put the deputies in schools next year.</p><p>But information about when and how to apply, and when the district would receive the money is not yet known, Superintendent Tim Markley said. </p><p>Board members decided to apply for the grant and hold off on using local money to fund the deputies. The grant funding only applies to new deputies, so if the district put deputies in place using local funding, it wouldn't be eligible for the grant, Markley said. </p><p>The district has publicly supported keeping 11 sheriff's deputies to share among the district's 25 elementary schools, which would cost $1 million in its first year – $614,000 in recurring costs for staff salaries and $386,000 in one-time costs for equipment.</p><p>The school board will likely approve its budget on July 2, basing it on funding recommended from the county and the state House of Representatives. Since a state budget likely won't be finalized by then, the board will need to approve budget resolutions in later months, said chief finance officer Mary Hazel Small.</p><p>The House budget includes a 4 percent reduction in districts' teacher assistants. Small said that would not lead to any cuts in New Han­over County because of the district's expected enrollment growth. The district would keep its same number of teacher assistants instead of being able to add any, she said.</p><p>Pressley Baird: 343-2328</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @PressleyBaird</p>